Heating device for limb extremities



March 23, 1937. M. GERIA ET AL HEATING DEVICE FOR LIMB EXTREMITIES FiledDec. 5, 1955 Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 17Claims.

This invention relates to a heating device. More particularly, itrelates to a warmth producing receptor for use in the manicure andpedicure arts, and also in the heat treatment of the limb extremities ofthe body.

In the manicure and pedicure arts, various applications are used fortreating dry skin, nail and cuticle conditions. It is highly desirableto treat the skin, nails and cuticles with oils or ointments whereby tosoften them, by bathing them in oil or covering them with ointment. Hottowels or dabs of hot cotton wads are applied to effect penetration ofthe oils or ointments. Such usage involves extra time and efiort andextra expense because new wads or towels are necessary for eachindividual being treated. Furthermore, such methods of treatment areunsanitary, clumsy and only partly effective.

With the above and other disadvantages of the prior art in mind, it isan object of the present invention to provide an effective conditioningdevice for administerng heat treatments to the limb extremities of thebody.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus forproducing a sensation of warmth to the limb extremities of the body andpermit stimulation of the extremities after treatment with curativeoils, ointments and the like.

It is one further object of the present invention to provide apparatuswhich will accommodate either or both the limb extremities of a personand which will generate controlled temperature and permit the flow ofheat therethrough for stimulating blood circulation in the parts beingtreated.

With the above and other objects in View, the present inventionpreferably includes a receptor for the limb or limbs to be treated, aheat generating thermostatically controlled unit in connection with thereceptor, means for circulating heated aeriform fluid through thereceptor and means for regulating the flow and distribution of the fluidand the heat throughout the receptor.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end view of the preferred embodiment of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken on and looking in the directionof lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of the heating element included in the presentpreferred embodiment.

In the drawing similar reference characters designate like partsthroughout.

Referring to the drawing, the preferred embodiment of the inventionincludes a receptor I I], made of any desirable material, such as wood,plastics or metals. The receptor may be of any desired length toaccommodate one or both limb extremities of the body, and is of asubstantially 5 rectangular construction. It has a floor II with anupwardly extending wall I 3, extending inward- 1y from the opposed endof the front wall. The top of the receptor is of slightly curved outlinetowards the rear end thereof and forms a hollow 10 space I5 with a roofI6 of opening Il of the receptor. Top I4 and roof I6 diverge toward therear end of the receptor.

A hand rest I8 is supported by means of opposed supports I9 and 20mounted on front wall 15 I2, and deflecting wall I3, respectively. Saidhand rest extends the major length of the receptor and is easilyremovable and is provided with an opening 2| for fingers when a new handrest is to be inserted. Extending outwardly of opening I7 and contiguouswith hand rest I8 is an outwardly extending rest plate 22 supported bymeans of struts 23 and 24 and supports 25.

It is to be noted that intermediate deflecting wall plate I3 is curvedand extends from floor Ii r to above floor I8, forming a restriction ofopening I7. Furthermore, it is adjacent the rear diverging end of roofI6. Said roof I6 is in connection with a plate member 26 having anupwardly curved section 21 and an outwardly eX- tending portion 28. Saidextending portion meets the rear of the top I4 of the receptor as shown.

Mounted intermediate the outwardly extending portions 28 and horizontalportion of plate I3, is a motor 29 held in position by bolt screwmembers 30 and 3!. Said motor is provided with a fan 32 which isrotatable thereby. Intermediate the horizontal portion of deflectingwall plate I3 and motor 29 is a curved extending plate 33 on which ismounted a heating element 34 held in osition thereon by means of spacedinsulated member 35. Said heating element is made of resistant metal forconducting electricity and is mounted in a winding, spaced arrangementsas shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Said heating element is in connectionwith a thermostatic control unit 36 to regulate the flow of energythrough the heating element.

The heating element and motor are in connection by means of conductors37 and 38 passing through respective openings 39 and 40 of plate 26 witha switch 4| in the rear of wall top I4. Said switch is provided with asocket, not shown, for a plug connecting the heating and motor ele- 2ments with a source of electricity. It is to be noted that both platesl3 and 26 are removable as a unit and are held in position in thereceptor by means of screws 12 and 33. When these plates are removed,the motor and heating elements are also carried with them and permit ofadjustment. The rear end 34 of the receptor opening in which the platesl3 and 2% are disposed is provided with a grid member 55 to permitremoval of the heating and motor elements therefrom, and to permit theentrance of air therethrough. Furthermore, said grid member protects theoperator from injury in handling the device during its operation. 15 Inthe use of the device either one or both hands or feet, after havingbeen previously treated, is inserted into the opening ll. I The switch Mis turned on and the heating element becomes hot, while motor 29 rotatesfan 32. There is an influx of cool air, through rear end opening it, andas it passes through the heating element, it is heated and thendeflected upwardly the curved section 2's of plate member 26 and thendirected into the larger opening ll, there to come into direct contactwith the skin of the limb or limb extremities inserted in the opening.When the heat becomes too intense, thermostat unit 36 disconnects theheating element while fan 32 continues to operate. When the temperatureof the 39 element becomes too low, then thermostatic unit 36 closes thecircuit of the heating element which again becomes warm. It has beenfound that temperatures about 10 2{l degrees F. above body temperatureare conducive of the best results;

although the thermostat control may be regulated for any temperature.

While the above description of the invention may relate to the treatmentof the hands, it is also understood to include the treatment of the 40feet. There is a uniform flow of warm or preheated air from the smallopening to the large opening of the receptor. Furthermore, the roof l6and curved section 2? may be perforated at and 41 to permit flow of.warm air through 45 the space l5 and down'directly also into the largeopening ll. 7

The-present device finds extensive use in beauty parlors, where manypeople need not wait for individual wiping and hot dabbing of hands withtowels and pads. The device is portable, compact and easily assembledfor use.

While one preferred form of the invention has been described, it is tobe understood that heating elements of different character, such as,chemical generators giving oif heat, gas heaters, steam heaters and thelike, are effective in the present embodiment. The device is compactlymade and is simple of construction. It is effective also for baking atany desired temperature. The flow of warm air throughout the device isregulated and so circulated as to permit contact with that part of thehand or foot which most easily dries and chafes, namely the fingers. Thetemperature preferably used in the present apparatus is above 65 thebody temperature to obtain a soothing and curative action for the skinby means of warm aeriform fluid.

Changes as to form, construction, use and arrangement of materials maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for warming the limb extremities of the body, comprising acasing, a resting mem- 75 her in said casing for the extremities,aheatgencrating unit adjacent one end of the casing, means in connectionwith the heat generating unit for dissipating the heat through thecasing, and operable means for controlling said unit and the heatdissipating means.

2. Apparatus for heat treating the limb extremities of the body,comprising a hollow casing adapted to accommodate a limb extremitytherein, a heat generating unit adjacent one end of the casing,thermostatic control means in connection with the heat generating unit,heat dissipating means in the casing at the opening thereof fordistributing the flow of heat therethrough, and

means for controlling the heat generating means and heat dissipatingmeans.

3. Apparatus for heating the limb extremities of the body, comprising areceptor provided with an opening, for accommodating the extremity to beheated, propelling means in connection with the receptor, heatgenerating means operable with the propelling means, adapted to heat theaeriform medium surrounding the same, to a desired temperature, anautomatic control unit in connection with, the heatv generating means,and actuable means in connection with the heat generating and propellingmeans and connectible with a source of energization for operating saidmeans.

4. Heat treating apparatus, comprising a receptor for limb extremitiesof the body, having hollow top sides and flooring, and opposed openingstherein, a rest member outside the anterior opening of the receptor forthe protruding portion of the limb in the receptor, a deflecting memberprojecting upwardly in the interior, from the floor of the receptor, aheat generating element adjacent the deflecting member in theposteriorbpening of the receptor, means in the posterior opening of thereceptor for propelling cool aeriform fluid from the posterior openingagainst the heating element and upwardly through the receptor to strikethe limb extremities therein, and operative means in connection with asource of energy for synchronously operating the heat generating elementand the propelling means.

5. Apparatus for warming the oil coated or ointment soaked skin of thelimb extremities to permit penetration oftheoil or ointment therein andstimulate flow of blood in said treated portion of the limbs, comprisinga receptor forsaid portion of the body to be treated, having a hollowceiling and flooring, a deflector member extending upwardly from theflooring, heat generating element adjacent said plate propelling meansmounted in the receptor for drawing aeriform fluid from one end of thereceptor, forcing it against the heat generating element and thenforcing the preheated aeriform fluid into contact with the portion ofthe limb extremity in the receptor, and uperative means for controllingsaid element and propelling means.

6. Apparatus for heat treating in the manicure and pedicure arts,comprising a receptor fora limb to be treated, having a longitudinalhollow portion therein, a deflecting member extending upwardly into saidhollow portion, a curved section in the receptor vertically opposite themember, means intermediate the member and the section for generatingheat, a motor mounted between the member and section carrying apropelling member and supporting the generating means, and actuablemeans for operating the motor unit and heat generating element.

7. Baking apparatus for use in the manicure and pedicure arts,comprising, a receptorhaving a sub- MIL stantially tapering openingextending therethrough, adapted to receive a limb extremity to be baked,therein, a deflector extending upwardly into said opening, an opposedcurved upper plate forming part of the ceiling of said receptor, a motorunit carrying propulsion means, mounted intermediate the deflector andthe plate, a plate member extending from the motor unit and disposedadjacent the propulsion means, a heating element in the plate memberintermediate the plate member and the propulsion means, and operativemeans for actuating the element and unit, whereby a continual flow ofaeriform fluid is drawn in from one end of the opening, heated anddistributed throughout the receptor to effect contact of the warmedaeriform fluid with the limb extremity in said receptor.

8. Baking apparatus according to claim '7, in which the heating elementis provided with automatic control means whereby to connect anddisconnect the element from operation.

9. Baking apparatus according to claim 7, in which the deflector, thecurved plate members are integral with the receptor and removabletherefrom with the motor unit and heating element attached thereto.

10. Baking apparatus according to claim 7, provided with a replaceablerest in the receptor and abutting the deflecting wall member.

11. Apparatus for baking in the manicure and pedicure arts, comprisinga, hollow walled receptor for accommodating the part to be baked, andhaving an opening extending therethrough, heating means adjacent one endof the opening for warming aeriform fluid in the opening, means forpropelling the fluid against the heating means to warm the same and passit through the opening, thermostatic control means in connection withthe heating means to disconnect the latter after it has reached adesired temperature, and operative means for actuating the heating andpropelling means.

12. A heating device for the heat treatment in the manicure and pedicurearts, comprising a hollow receptor for accommodating the part to beheated, means in connection with the receptor for generating heattherein, deflective means extending toward the ceiling of the receptorfor guiding theheat to be transmitted therethrough and means inside thereceptor for circulating the heat generated therein, whereby the heatwill form contact with the surface of the part to be treated in saidreceptor.

13. Apparatus for baking the limb extremities of the body, comprising areceptor, means mounted in the receptor for accommodating the part ofthe limb to be treated, a deflecting member in the receptor, a heatingelement adjacent said deflecting member, propulsion means mounted on thedeflecting member for circulating the heat throughout the receptor, andmeans in the receptor regulating the propulsion means and heatingelement.

14. Apparatus for heat treating the limb extremities of the body,comprising a hollow receptor for the limbs, said hollow extending thelength of the receptor, a motor unit mounted at one end of the receptor,and in the opening thereof provided with propelling means for drawingaeriform fluid into the opening, a heating element disposed in the pathof movement of the aeriform fluid from the propelling means for heatingthe fluid deflecting means extending upwardly into the opening fordeflecting the path of flow of warmed fluid into the major portion ofthe opening and make contact with the limb extremities therein, actuablemeans in connection with the motor unit and the heating element foroperatively connecting same with a source of energization, means inconnection with the heating element for automatically regulating theflow of energy therethrough, and a grid member in the end of thereceptor adjacent the motor unit for protecting the operator fromcontact with the motor unit.

15. Apparatus for heating the limb extremities of the body, comprising alongitudinal casing provided With a floor therein for accommodating thelimb extremity and a rear open section, deflecting means intermediatethe floor and rear section, heating means adjacent the deflector in therear section, propelling means opposite the heating means forcirculating warmed aeriform fluid thru the casing to treat the limbextremity therein, automatic control means in connection with theheating means for controlling the operation thereof when the temperatureof the same is too high for body resistance, and switching means inconnection with the heating, propelling and control means fordisconnecting the same from operation. I

16. Apparatus according to claim 15, in which the ceiling of the casingand rear section is perforated to permit passage of aeriform fluidtherethru into the casing onto the exposed portion of the limbextremity.

17. Apparatus for heating the limb extremities of the body, comprising alongitudinal casing provided with a floor for the limb extremity, and aperforated ceiling, an integral rear open section having an upwardlyextending deflecting member and an arcuate perforated ceiling,electrically driven propelling means in the section for forcing aeriformfluid thru the ceilings and onto the casing, heating means intermediatethe member and propelling means for raising the temperature of the fluidperparatory to entrance into the casing, automatic temperatureregulating means in connection with the heating means,

and circuit making and breaking means in connection With a source ofelectrical energy and the propelling, heating and temperature regulatingmeans.

MARY GERIA. ANDREW GERIA.

